log: [14] Log is a mystery word. It first turns up (in the sense ‘felled timber’) towards the end of the 14th century, but it has no ascertainable relatives in any other language. Nor is it altogether clear how the sense ‘ship’s record’ came about. It was inspired by the use of log for a thin piece of wood floated in the water from a line to determine the speed of a ship, but some etymologists have speculated that this is not the same word as log ‘piece of timber’, but was adapted from Arabic lauh ‘tablet’.
log (n.1)
unshaped large piece of tree, early 14c., of unknown origin. Old Norse had lag "felled tree" (from stem of liggja "to lie"), but on phonological grounds many etymologists deny that this is the root of English log. Instead, they suggest an independent formation meant to "express the notion of something massive by a word of appropriate sound." OED compares clog (n.) in its original Middle English sense "lump of wood." Log cabin (1770) in American English has been a figure of the honest pioneer since the 1840 presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison. Falling off a log as a type of something easy to do is from 1839.
log (v.2)
"to enter into a log-book," 1823, from log (n.2). Meaning "to attain (a speed) as noted in a log" is recorded by 1883. Related: Logged; logging.
log (n.2)
"record of observations, readings, etc.," 1842, sailor's shortening of log-book "daily record of a ship's speed, progress, etc." (1670s), from log (n.1). The book so called because a wooden float at the end of a line was cast out to measure a ship's speed. General sense by 1913.
log (v.1)
"to fell a tree," 1717; earlier "to strip a tree" (1690s), from log (n.1). Related: Logged; logging.
双语例句
1. In the evening a log fire would provide cosiness.
晚上点起篝火会让人感到温暖舒适。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Customers pay to log on and gossip with other users.
顾客付费后登录系统和其他用户聊天。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I set the log on the ground and shaved off the bark.
我将原木放到了地上，刨掉了树皮。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The large log basket can be used to tidy toys away.
大木篮子可以用来装玩具。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The log cabin stayed empty, except when we came.